Railway-switch.



Y PATENTED DBG. s, 19o?. R. B. WooDALL.

A RAILWAY SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 16,1907.

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No. 872,982. PATENTBD DEG. 3, 1907.

R. B. WOODALL.4

RAILWAY SWITCH.

A.APPLIOATION FILED MAY 16.1907.

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A TTORNE YS UNTTED STATES PATENT FFTQE ROBERT B. WOODALL, OF TRASKWOOD, ARKANSAS, ASSGrNOR- OF ONE-SIXTH TO DAVID S.

MCORAY, ONE-SIXTH TO WILLIAM H. COOPER, ONE-SIXTH TO ENOOH H. VANOE, JR., ONE- SIXTH TO JOHN H. B. ADAMS, AND ONE-SIXTH TO THOMAS N. ATOHISON, OF MALVERN,

ARKANSAS.

RAILWAY-SWITCH.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 3, 1907.

Application iledvMay 16. 1907. Serial No. 373.912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT B. VOODALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Traskwood, in the county of Saline and State of Arkansas, have invented a new and useful Railway-Switch, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railway switches and more particularly to means whereby a switch can be actuated by a motor or car approaching the same.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide simple and efficient mechanism whereby the switch may be shifted at the will of the motorman or engineer without the necessity of stopping the car or slackening its speed. l

Another object is to provide mechanism operated by the car whereby the switch may be held in locked position until after the car has passed the switch whereupon the switch is permitted to return automatically toits initial position.

A still further object is to provide a switch which can be operated equally as well by a car approaching it in either direction.

Another object is to provide switch actuating means designed to be used in addition to the ordinary hand operated means for throwing the switch.

A still further object is to providesimple and eflicient means upon the car for actuating the switch throwing mechanism, said means being free to operate and positively held in either operative or inoperative position.

Vith these and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings is shown the preferred form of the invention.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of the switch embodying the present improvements, the housings of the apparatus being removed; Fig. 2 is an enlarged inverted horizontal section through the central portion of the switch throwing mechanism, Fig. 3 is a section on line x-, Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevation of the latch and its actuating mechanism; Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section through one of the tripping arms of the switch mechanism and through a portion of a car thereabove, the operating mechanism of either car being shown in section; and Fig. 6 is a transverse section through the parts shown in Fig. 5.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, 1, 1 designate switch tongues connected adjacent their points in the usual manner as by means of straps 2. The end portions of these tongues are disposed above a casing 3 which extends transversely between and under the rails 4 of the track and within the top of this casing is an opening 5 through which extends a connecting strap 6 which is fastened at its ends to the straps 2 and at intermediate points to a slide '7 mounted to reciprocate within the casing. This slide has a longitudinal slot 8 loosely engaged by a studv 9 extending through a bar.

10. Said bar projects through one side of the casing as shown particularly in Figs. 2 and 3, and is designed to be fastened to a suitable lever adjacent the switch whereby the switch can be operated manually. One end of the slide 7 is offset laterally as shown at 11 and is beveled as at 12 and this beveled offset end is designed to operate between the top of the casing and a block 13 supported by a spring 14. This block constitutes a yield.- able support for the end of the slide and serves to hold it clamped against the top of the easing. Suitable cross strips 15 extend under the slide for the purpose of holding it out of contact with the bottom of the casing and extending downward from one end of this slide is a lug 16 against which bears a spring 17. This spring serves to hold the slide normally in a predetermined position and is of sufficient strength to shift the tongues 1 back to their normal positions after they have been removed therefrom. A projection 18 is formed upon the bottom of the slide near the center thereof and loosely bearing against one face thereof are the adjoining ends of oppositely disposed bell crank levers 19. Each of these levers has a link 2O pivotally connected to it and extending from one wall of the cas-l ing 3. A rod 21 is pivotally connected to each link and the two rods extend in opposite directions beteewn the rails. Each rod is pivoted at that end thereof farthest removed from the switch, to a` tripping arm 22 fulcrumed in a guide strip 23 extending between the rails and projecting upward from said guide strip. The guide pins 24 are preferably located adjacent opposite sides of the tripping arm. Although in Fig. 1 the rods 21 have been shown exposed it is to be understood that if preferred they may be suitably housed so that their operation will not be interfered with by ice, or by stones and the like.

Located close to the point of one of thei tongues and below the same is an opening 25 in which is disposed the upper end of a latch 26. This latch is pivotally connected to one end of an arm 27 projecting from a rock sh aft 28 and another arm 29 extends downward from this rock shaft and is pivoted to a rod. 30 extending to a point at one side of the switch where it is pivotally connected to a bell crank lever 31. An arm 32 extends upward from this bell crank lever and under one end of an actuating rail 33 which is yieldably supported by a spring 34 and rests close to one lof the rails of the track and adjacent the switch. Another similar actuating rail 35 is disposed along one of the track rails and at the other side of the switch and is yieldably supported by aspring 36. This rail 35 bears upon. an arm 37 extending upward from an arm 33 which is secured to rock shaft 28.

The arms 32 and 37 may be pivotally connected to rails 33 and 35 or, if preferred, any

suitable means, such as a spring 39 may be employed for holding the latch 26 normally retracted into the opening 25.

The apparatus herein described requires the use of mechanism upon a car whereby either of the arms 22 can be tripped should it be desired to throw the switch. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6 this mechanism consists of a shoe 40 having its lower facebeveled at its front end as shown at 41 and this shoe is mounted between guides 42 connected to the car. Loops 43 extend from the sides of the shoe and are engaged by supporting springs 44 which serve to hold the shoe normally raised. Oppositely disposed dogs 45 are pivotally mounted above the shoe and are pivotally connected to links 46 which are in turn pivoted to a plunger 47. This plunger is designed to be operated in any suitable manner and, when depressed, will push the dogs 45 downward against the shoe, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 5. The free ends of the dogs are moved past the dead center and therefore the shoe becomes locked in a lowered position where it is free to strike against the tripping arm projecting into the path thereof. Obviously the shoe can not be pushed upward because of the positions of the dogs thereabove. Wlhen, however, the plunger 47 is pulled upward the dogs 45 will be withdrawn from locking position and the springs 44 will promptly raise the shoeso that it will pass over the tripping arm 22.

When it is desired to operate the switch herein described the plunger 47 is pressed downward so as to lower the shoe 40 and lock it. When the car, which has been indicated at 43, operates the switch, the shoe will press against one of the arms 22 and swing it so as to pull on the rod 21. The bell crank lever 19 connected to said rod will be operated to shift the slide 7 and the switch tongues laterally. As this operation is taking place the fiange of one of the car wheels rides upon either the rail 35 or the rail 33, according to the direction in which the car is moving, and said flange depresses the rail and causes the actuation of the mechanism connected thereto so as to raise the latch 26. This latch will assume a position at one side of the shifted switch and will lock it against return movement and the latch will remain in raised position as long as either of the rails 33 or 35 is subjectedto the weight of a car.' The rails are of such length that at least one wheel of the car is bearing thereon at all times during the passage of a train over the switch and it is thus apparent that after a car has once moved on to one of these rails and the switch has been shifted and locked said switch will remain locked until the last wheel of the car or of a train of cars shall have passed over the rail 33 or 35 and ontothe switch. As soon as the rail 35 or33 is released it will be returned to its original position by springs 34 or 36 and the latch 26 will also move downward. Spring 17 will then promptly return the switch tongues to their initial positions. Although the apparatus has been shown in connection with a point switch it is to be understood that with very slight modiiications the same may be used equally as effectively with a stub switch.

W hat is claimed is:

1. The combination with a switch tongue, a tripping device, means operated by the tripping device for shifting the tongue, and. means for automatically returning the tongue to normal position, of a latch, and separate means operated by a car approaching the switch from either direction for holding the latch in the path of the shifted tongue.

2. The combination with a switch tongue, a tripping device, means operated by the tripping device for shifting the tongue, and means for automatically returning the tongue to normal position; of a latch, yieldingly supported actuating rails disposed to be depressed by a car approaching the switch from either direction, and means actuated by said rails for positively projecting the latch into the path of the shifted tongue.

3. The combination with a switch tongue, a tripping device, means operated by the tripping device for shifting the tongue, and means for automatically returning the tongue to normal position; of a latch, yieldingly supported actuating rails disposed to be depressed by acar approaching the switch from either direction, means actuated by said rails for positively projecting' the latch into the path of the shifted tongue, and means for holding the latch normally out of the path of the tongue.

4. The combination with a switch tongue, yielding means for holding the same normally in a predetermined position7 a tripping lever, and means operated by the lever for shifting the tongue out of normal position; of actuating means comprising a yieldingly supported shoe disposed to be brought against the tripping lever, a plunger, and means operated by the plunger for depressing the shoe and locking it in the path ofthe tripping lever.

5. The combination with a switch tongue, and a tripping lever for actuating the tongue; of portable actuating means comprising a yieldingly supported shoe normally above the path of the tripping lever, oppositely disposed dogs above the shoe, and means for simultaneously actuating the dogs to depress and lock the shoe in the path of the lever or to release the shoe.

6. The combination with a switch and an actuating device for shifting the switch; of portable means for operating the actuating device, said means comprising guides, a shoe movably mounted therebetween, yieldable supports for holding the shoe normally out of the path of the actuating device, a plunger, and oppositely disposed dogs operated by the plunger to depress and lock the shoe in the path of the actuating device.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own7 I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses,

ROBT. B. WOODALL.

Witnesses:

LON P. HARDIN, AUGUST W. BRAssLER. 

